Soledad Alfaro

Soledad Alfaro provides leadership for Foundations' Office of Special Projects in order to build program capacity and vitality across the organization.  Working closely with the Office of the CEO, Ms. Alfaro contributes to strategic direction and governance of projects that advance Foundations' national mission.  She also supports development, fundraising, and communications efforts.

Ms. Alfaro heads Foundations' exciting new initiative, The Green Enterprise Project (GEP), which is grounded in the belief that it is possible to simultaneously respect the environment, train the next generation of workers, and grow the economy in Northwest Philadelphia.  GEP seeks to increase educational outcomes, employment rates, and minority business ownership, while promoting sustainable, responsible economic development.

Recently, the Office of Special Projects has also assisted with development and operation of the following programs providing experiential learning and 21^st century skills development for high school students: the Seeds for Learning urban farm and marketplace program and its community lunch component, the Teens-Go-Green urban landscaping initiative, and the Technology is Power Seminars for Microsoft training and certification.

Urban education, ecology, greening, program management, and community partnerships are just a few of Ms. Alfaro's areas of expertise.  She holds a B.A. degree in Biology from the University of Colorado and a Masters degree in Urban Education from Temple University, where she focused on environmental inequality in urban communities and the implications for public education.  Before joining Foundations, she served as Senior Fellow with the innovative Environmental Leadership Program (ELP), which builds the capacity of promising emerging leaders nationally.  And, as an Education Coordinator at the Awbury Arboretum, she revamped the field studies curriculum to reflect State and School District Environmental and Ecology Standards.  

Ms. Alfaro is also an Independent Consultant and Adjunct Professor at Temple University.